Australia's prime minister Scott Morrison is said to be considering allowing asylum seekers and refugees detained on Nauru into New Zealand.
Scott Morrison Photo: AFP
New Zealand has long offered to resettle as many as 150 refugees from Australia's detention centres on Papua New Guinea and Nauru, but Australia has refused to accept it.
After five years - and amid a mounting mental health crisis among detainees - Australian media are reporting that Mr Morrison is considering a change of heart.
The ABC reported that Mr Morrison would consider taking up the offer if the opposition Labor Party supported legislation to prevent them from ever going to Australia.
The move came after three members of Mr Morrison's Liberal Party demanded that children on Nauru be transferred to Australia, amid growing warnings about their plight.
Manus refugees head to US
Meanwhile, 17 refugees from Manus Island have been flown to Papua New Guinea's capital, Port Moresby, ahead of their resettlement in the United States.
Their resettlement would bring the number of refugees from Manus resettled under the deal between Australia and the US to 167.
More than 1500 asylum seekers and refugees remain in limbo on Nauru and Manus Island as Canberra struggles to find any resettlement options.
Seventeen refugees, held on Manus Island for almost five years, flew from Port Moresby today, Tuesday 16 October, to be resettled in the US. Photo: Supplied